Why Young Czechs Don't Want Children: Housing, Partners and Fear of Responsibility

Czechia is going through the most serious demographic crisis in its modern history: according to the Czech Statistical Office, only 77,905 children were born in 2025, and in the first three months of 2026 the number of newborns fell by a further 6%. If the trend continues, only around 73,000 children will be born by the end of the year — fewer than under the reign of Joseph II, when such statistics began to be kept in Bohemia in 1785.

The outlet Seznam Zprávy surveyed 30 childless young people aged 25–35 to understand the reasons behind this. Five main factors emerged: lack of money and unaffordable housing, shifting life priorities, the absence of a partner, an unsuitable age or life stage, and mental or physical health problems.

Housing as the main obstacle

"To have children, you need to be a billionaire," jokes 34-year-old Michal from Prague, explaining why he remains childless for now. According to a report by the Ministry of Regional Development, the affordability of owning a home in Czechia has deteriorated at one of the fastest rates among OECD countries in recent years, and in terms of rental affordability the country ranks among the four worst in Europe.

In Prague, buying a new flat costs the equivalent of 15 annual salaries — only Amsterdam and Athens fare worse. Sociologist Daniel Prokop of PAQ Research points to studies from Brazil and the US showing that housing affordability alone can explain up to half of the changes in birth rates. Data from the "Modern Czech Family" project show that in 2020, 55% of young people renting their homes were considering having a child in the near future — but by 2022, during the energy crisis, that figure had dropped to just 35%.

No partner, no children

Sociologist Martin Kreidl from Masaryk University notes that around 90% of children in Czechia are born within stable relationships — but nowadays couples either fail to form, or partners simply don't see the relationship as stable enough to have a child in. Eight of the thirty people surveyed named the lack of a partner as the main reason for their childlessness.

Data from the 2023–2024 CzechSex study show that 36% of men and 24% of women aged 18–25 have never had sexual experience. Among the reasons for being single, young women most often cite fear of emotional harm (76%), while men point to an inability to build relationships (74%).

Age, health and shifting values

If, at a hypothetical class reunion in 1965, thirty-year-old women would have counted 27 children between them, in 2025 half of the same class's female classmates would be childless altogether, with only three having two or more children. The average age of first-time mothers has risen from nearly 25 in 2000 to over 29 today.

A fifth of women of reproductive age report difficulties conceiving. According to PAQ Research, around 16% of Czech adults show symptoms of at least moderate depression or anxiety, with the issue more common among poorer households and young people.

Is there a way out?

Demographer Tomáš Sobotka of the Vienna Institute of Demography notes that in 2021 Czechia unexpectedly overtook even Scandinavia and the US in birth rates, thanks to rising incomes among young people — before the housing crisis intensified. Sociologist Daniel Prokop proposes 11 measures, ranging from state support for construction and mortgage tax breaks for young people to guaranteed nursery and kindergarten places from the age of two.

Experts warn that cash handouts alone are not enough — Hungary under Viktor Orbán, despite its generous family policy, has seen a birth-rate decline similar to Czechia's. According to sociologist Martin Kreidl, the key task is to improve young people's overall quality of life: affordable housing, financial stability and mental health support.

Read also: Rental scams in Prague: how to spot a fraud

Source: seznamzpravy.cz